SÄNGER

GERMANY (see also List of Individuals)

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22.9.1905 Pressnitz/CZ - 10.2.1964 Berlin/D

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Eugen Sänger graduated in mechanical engineering from Vienna Technical University in 1929 after having initiated civil engineering studies at the Graz University. One year later he submitted also a PhD thesis in Vienna and in parallel gained the diploma of a pilot, to experience flight. As an assistant at Vienna Technical University, he studied questions of aviation, particularly those relating to rocket propulsion and aerodynamics. He developed a small rocket engine laboratory to test various designs and succeeded in a unit that remained unsurpassable for a long time. His design was based on the use of liquid oxygen that was considered unrealistic by the Austrians, however. Sänger thus followed an invitation by the Germans in 1936 where he was appointed director of the research station in Lüneburger Heide. Between 1937 and 1941, Sänger and his crew, among which was also his wife, succeeded to develop the design bases of rocket flight. Despite positive results, the aviation ministry did not realize its mainly military value.

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Sänger moved in 1946 to France as expert in the armament department and to develop methods for space flight for peaceful purposes. In parallel he published his book that describes the essential differences between airplanes and rockets. His work found great admiration, resulting in 1951 to presiding over the International Aeronautical Federation in London or the presentation of the second Hermann-Oberth Medal by the German Association of Space Flight DGW. In 1954, Sänger was appointed director of the Research Institute for physics of jet propulsion at Stuttgart Technical University, where he initiated works on photonic jet propulsion, a development currently considered but not yet experienced. He was there promoted to Honorary Professor in 1958. Sänger is currently considered the greatest astronaut of Austria.

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_{Anonymous (1959). Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eugen Sänger. Flugwelt 11(3): 109. P}

_{Poggendorff, J.C. (1953). Sänger, Eugen. Biographisch-Literarisches Handwörterbuch 7a: 10- 12; 8: 2101. Akademie-Verlag: Berlin, with bibliography.}

_{Sänger, E. (1933). Raketen-Flugtechnik. Oldenbourg: München.}

_{Sänger, E. (1962). Raumfahrt wohin? Was bringt uns der Vorstoss ins All? Bechtle: München. Stemmer, J., Sänger, E. (1952). Raketenantriebe: Ihre Entwicklung, Anwendung und Zukunft. Schweizer Druckund Verlagshaus: Zürich.}

_{Zesch, E. (1964). Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sänger. Österreichische Ingenieur-Zeitschrift 7(4): 137-138. P}

_{Zuerl, W. (1964). Eugen Sänger. Jahrbuch der WGL: 489-494, with bibliography.}